Mail-catching device.



H. CRISLE R. MAIL CATCHING DEV ICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 20. I915.

Patented Apr. 3, I917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET WITNESSES ATTORNEY muj o c.

H CRISLER.

MAIL CATCHING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MT. 20. 1915.

' Patented Apr. 3

2 SHEETS-SHEEI' 2- W 'N-VENTOR Z6 4 u WITNESSES ATTORNEY tTE @TATd ATENT @FFTQE.

HORACE GBISLER, OF DOYLEVILLE, ARKANSAS, ASS-IGNOB, OF ONE-HALF T0 JOSEPH W. SUTHEBLIN, 0F DGYLEVILE, ARKANSAS.

MAIL-GATGI-IING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed October 20, 1915. Serial No. 56,952.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Honor OnrsLnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Doyleville, in the county of White and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Catching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway mail transferring devices and has for its primary object the provision of a device of this character which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, strong and durable, and effective in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will absolutely absorb all shock incident to the delivery of mail from a train to a station or vice versa.

My invention is particularly adapted for delivering mail from a train to the station although I do not limit myself to this use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which includes means for positively grasping a mail bag when delivered from a train or vice With the above and other objects in view my invention resides preferably in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth in the specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mail delivering apparatus embodying the improvements of my invention, part of the car being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 14 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow, and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view partly in elevation of part of the invention.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

In the drawings, I have illustrated the side of a mail car designated 1 having a mail bag supporting structure extending therefrom, said mail bag support including a frame comprising a strip 2 hinged at 3 to the side of the car and a strip 4 hinged at the parts 5 to the side of the mail car and connected at 6 to the strip 2; The strip 2 is extend-ed and provided with a tubular bearing member 7, said bearing member 7 serving to support a shaft 8 provided with a bifurcated extremity afiording a U-shaped holder 9, the inner extremity of said rod being bent upwardly as indicated at 10 and connected with one extremity of the coiled spring 11, the opposite extremity of said coiled spring being connected to the bracket 12. This serves to maintain said shaft in the position shown. A strengthening rod 13 is connected to the mail car at 1d and to the strip 2 at 15 in order to maintain the frame in outer position.

The mail' receiving element includes a support 16 formed with a laterally extending portion 17 at itsupper extremity, said portion 17 being provided with a bearing 18. The bearing 18 serves to support the lower staff member 19 rotatable on the hearing 18 and carries a weight 21 to maintain said staff in a given position. The stafi member 19 is removable from an upper staff member, as indicated by the set screw and as shown to advantage in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper portion of the staff des ignated 22 serves as a hinging support for mail bag receiving arms23, said arms being substantially semi-circular in configuration and being offrame construction, including the rods 24, coiled springs 25 serving to assist in folding the arms 23 in a manner hereinafter set forth.

In order to maintain the arms in open position to receive a mail bag or the like, I have provided a collapsible frame 26 including a plurality of hinged sections 27, the free terminals of said frame being hinged as indicated at 28 to the outer extremities of the arms 28. This frame 26 serves to maintain the arms in open position as shown to advantage in Fig. 1 and when a mail bag strikes said arms, the arms are released and the springs serve to close the same about the mail bag. In order to absorb the initial shock imparted to the receiver upon the delivery of the mail bag thereto, 1 have provided a coiled spring 31 having one of its extremities connected at 32 to the staff at 19 and the other extremity thereof connected to a lateral extension 33 on said staff 22.

In operation, a mail bag is suspended from the Urshaped holder 9. The arms 23 are moved to an open position and the Weight 21 maintains said arms, forming the receiver, of the path of travel in the mail bag. As the train passes the receiver, the mail bag strikes the latter collapsing the frame 26, allowing the arms to firmly grip said mail bag, the receiver at the same time rotating upon its bearing 18 to absorb the shock incident to the delivery of the mail. The shaft is adapted to oscillate and allow the mail bag to automatically disengage therefrom. The arms 23 are strengthened by the provision of rods 29, said rods 29 serving to prevent a mail bag from slipping from the receiver due to centrifugal force also serving to retain the bag \vithm the receiver when inverted, it being, of

course, understood that the mail bag is generally of a greater Weight than the weight 21. From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of my invention may be readily gathered and while I have shown and described the same as embodying a specific structure, I reserve the right to make changes therein which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is;

1. A receiver for mail bags, including a supporting member, a receiving member comprlslng a pair of hinged arms carried by the supporting member, and a plurality of hingedly connected sections engaged with the outer sides of said arms for maintaining the latter in open position to receive a bag.

2. A receiver for mail bags, including a supporting member, a receiving cage comprising a pair of hinged arms, a plurality of hingedly connected sections engaged with the outer sides of said arms for maintaining the cage in open position to receive a bag, and means for automatically closing said cage upon the delivery of a mail bag thereinto.

3. A receiver for mail bags, including a supporting member, a receiving frame comprising hingedly connected sections, a plurality of hingedly connected elements ongaged with the outer sides of said frame for maintaining the latter in open position to receive a bag and resilient means for automatically closing said frame upon the delivery of the mail bag thercinto.

4. A mail bag receiver, including a supporting member, a staff rotatable about said supporting member, the mail bag receiving means secured to the upper portion of the staff, and a weight aflixed to the lower extremity of said staff whereby said mail bag receiving means will be normally held in up-right position.

5. A mail bag receiver, including a supporting member, a staff rotatably mounted upon said supporting member, mail bag rcceiving means comprising a frame having hingedly connected sections, a plurality of hingedly connected elements engaged with the outer sides of said section whereby the frame will be maintained in open position to receive a bag, means for automatically closing said frame when the bag is delivered thereinto, and a weight aflixed to the lower extremity of said staff whereby said mail bag receiving means will be normally held in up-right position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE CRISLER.

WVitnesses LAFAYETTE KING, VVILEY CARUTI-rERs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

